Stamp-affixing machine



B. A. STREHS.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.21| I917. RENEWED JULY 22.19I9;

1,323,419. Patented Dec. 2,1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

3 I 2- III I 13.62. S'ikahm BRUNO ADAM STREHS, F lJETIROI'I, MICHIGAN.

STAMP-AFFIXING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919'.-

.Application filed January 27, 1917, Serial No. 144,854. Renewed July22, 1919. Serial no. 312,577.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bruno A. STREHS, a subject to the Czar of Russia,residing at De troit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Affixing Machines;and I do hereby declare the follow- 7 ing to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a machine for affixing stamps to letters, andthe primary object of the invention is to provide amachine which isoperated by the operation of a hand lever, for feeding, moistening andaflixing stamps to envelops.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine as specifiedwhich includes a rotary stamp feeding roller for feeding stamps from aroll, over a forarninous surface, beneath which surface is positioned amoistening sponge, to provide a hand lever which has a spring orresilient plate carried thereby for engagement with fingers carried bythe stamp feeding wheels for rotating the stamp feeding wheel uponpivotal movement of the hand lever.

A further object of this invention is to provide a series of levers androds which are connected to the hand lever below its pivot point so thatupon the reversestroke or movement of the lever to the stamp feedingroll operating movement, the moistening sponge will be moved upwardlyfor moisten. ing thegummed surface of a stamp immediately prior to thepositioning of a stamp over a letter. I

A still further object of this invention is to provide a plungerstructure which has a knife carried by one edge of the same, which knifecuts the stamp free from a strip of stamps, immediately after which itis aflixed to a letter by the downward pressure of the plunger.

With the foregoing and other objects'in view, this invention consists insuch novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and claimed:

. In describing the invention in detail, reference will be: had to-theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like andcorresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the stamp aflix ing machine.

Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section through the stamp afiixing machineshowing the lever in a position immediately after operating the stampfeeding roll.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 onlyshowing the lever ina position immediately after it has moved the moistening' spongeupwardly into a stamp engagmg position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the stampa'llixing machine taken atright angles to the section illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the draw-' ings, 1 designates the mainsupporting struc ture of the stamp affixingmachineas an'entirety, whichstructure hasa superposed casing 2 carried thereby in which is mounted abracket 8. The bracket '3 supports a pin 4, upon which a roll 6 ofstamps is mounted. The roll of stamps is preferably formed of a strip ofconnected stamps as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, whichare'fed from the roll between the'undersurface of a guiding flange 7 andthe upper surface of the top 8 of thesupporting casing 1 by the rotationof a stamp feeding wheel 9. 1 p s The stamp feeding wheel 9 comprises apair of wheels or rings 10, which are connected by suitable braces 11'.The wheels or rings 10 have hubs 12 which are'rotatably mounted upon ashaft 13. The shaft 13 is supported by suitable bearings 14 within thecasing 1. The wheels 9 have a plurality of radiating stamp engagingspurs 14:

slot 18 formed in the casing 1 and is piv ota'lly supported by a pin 19,which pin is carried by a suitable bracket 20 attachedto and extendinginwardly from one side of the casing 1. V p f Y The spring plate 16engages one' of the stop pins 15 so that during the movement of thelever 17 from the position illustrated in Fig. 3,to the positionillustrated in Fig. 2, the wheels 9 will be rotated for feeding a singlestamp forwardly ever the upper surface of the top 8 and consequentlyover the foraminous portion 21 of the top 8. A reservoir or tank 22 ispositioned directly be neath the foraminous portion 21 of the top 8 andit has a sponge 23 mounted therein which sponge is carried by the upperend of a rod 24. The rod 24 is pivotally con- .nected as shown at 25 toan arm 26, which arm has its lower end connected as shown at 27 to thearm 28 of an angled lever 29. A rod 30 is connected to the angled lever29, and to the lower end 31 of the hand lever 17, below the pivotalpoint 19 of the hand lever as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of thedrawings, so that when the hand lever 17 is moved from the positionshown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 the sponge 23 will beforced upwardly in engagement with the under surface of the foraminousportion 21 for moistening the gummed surface of a stamp. A suitableguiding struc ture 33 is formed upon the bottom of the tank 22, limitingthe movement of the rod 24.

The casing 1 has a pad 34 carried by its upper surface, outwardly of theforaminous portion 21, which pad may be constructed of rubber or analoous material and is adapted for holding the etter or envelop to whichthe stamp is to be afiiXed. The pad 34 has its inner end spaced a shortdistance from the outer edge of the tank 22 providing a space 32 forreceiving the knife blade 33 which is carried by the plunger structure34 of the device.

The plunger structure generically indicated by the numeral 34 isslidably carried by a bracing arm 35 which curves upwardly and forwardlyfrom the casing 1 and which has a collar 36carried by its upper forwardend in which collar is slidably mounted the lunger structure 34'.

A pin 37 extends diametrically through the collar 36 and, through the.slots 38 formed in the sides of the casing 39 of the plunger structurefor guiding the vertical movement of the latter. A spring 40 ispositioned within the upper portion of the plunger and it has itslowerrend engaging the pin 37, while its upper end engages the innersurface of the top of the casing 39,

. for returnin thecasin to its 11) er osition after it has been forceddownwardly by manual pressure The casing 39 has a pad 41 carried by itslower end which is constructed of the same material of which the pad 34is constructed and which is positioned directly abovethe pad 34 forstriking the upper-surface of a letter, and pressing it against theupper surface ofthepad 34 for affixing a; stamp tothe letter, whichstamp is severed from the strip of stamps indicated by the numeral 43which is fed from the roll 6.

dicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, whichfeeds a stamp forwardly over theforami:

nous portion 21 of the top 8, after which the lever is returned to itsnormal position or to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, which forces the sponge 23 upvardly for moistening the gummedsurface of the stamp. The lever 17 is then pushed forwardly again, whichfeeds the stamp outwardly over the edge of a letter which is placed uponthe pad 34. The stamp having been positioned above the letter, theplungei- 34 is forced downwardly by striking the top of the casing 39with the palm or ball of the hand of the user, which causes theknife tosever the outermost stamp from the strip of stamps 43, and presses itfirmly upon the envelop after which the envelop may be removed from thepad 34 and an un stamped one substituted in. lieu thereof.

The spring plate 16 is constructed so that it will spring over the pin15 when the lever is moved to its rearward position as clearly shown inFig. 3 of the drawings.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings the advantages of construction and of the method. of operationof the improved stamp aiiixing machine will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art to whichthis invention appertains, and while in theforegoing description, the principle of the operation of this inventionhas been described together with various features of construction, it isto be understood that certain minor features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit practicalconditions provided such, alterations are comprehended within the scopeof what is claimed.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. A stamp affixing machine comprising a casing, means carried by saidcasing for supporting a strip of stamps, a stamp guide upon said casing,feed rollers carried by said casing for feeding the strip of stampsthrough the guide, a reservoir carried by said casing, foraminousmaterial closing said plying moisture through the foraminou's" materialand on the stamps, a letter supporting pad carried by said casing andadapted to receive the stamps from the foraminous covering of thereservoir means for severing the stamps from the strip of stamps andsimultaneously applying the stamps to a letter.

2., A stamp aflixing machine comprising a casing, means carried by saidcasing for supporting a strip of stamps, a reservoir carried by saidcasing, foraminous material closing said reservoir, a rod slidable insaid reservoir, a sponge carried by said rod, a

controlling lever pivoted to said casing and operatively connected tosaid rod for moving the sponge in engagement with the 0- raminousmaterial, feed rollers journaledin said casing and operatively connectedWith the controlling lever for feeding the stamps over the foraminousmaterial, a letter supporting pad carried by said casing, and means forsevering the stamps from the strip of stamps and simultaneously applyingth stamps to a letter.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BRUNO ADAM STREHS.

